Blackfoot man says he repeatedly molested girls because he ‘has needs’

BLACKFOOT — A Blackfoot man says he molested two 8-year-old girls because he “has needs.”

Now Jeffrey D. Beasley, 61, is in jail and charged with four counts of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 and two counts of sexual abuse of a minor for crimes allegedly committed from April 2016 through April 2017.

Court documents show Beasley confessed to investigators that he would give the now-10-year-old girls candy or money after he molested them. He then would tell them not to tell anyone about the multiple alleged incidents of sexual abuse.

“He did bad stuff to me,” one of the victims told detectives before describing what allegedly happened.

After investigators were contacted, Beasley was called in for questioning on April 9. The probable statement shows he admitted to inappropriately kissing, rubbing and touching the girls on several occasions.

“Beasley said that it had been more than a year since he had done anything. Beasley went on to say this is not his fault,” the probable cause statement reads. “He said … he had needs. He said the girls did not mind, (because) he gave them money.”

Two days after his interview, court documents show Beasley emailed a Bingham County detective.

“We are all beings that have sexual needs,” Beasley wrote. “I was left with some needs. I am not trying to justify my actions at all, just give some explanation for how my actions came about. I minimized my action in my mind at the time since the girls didn’t mind at all as long as I gave them a few dollars each time. Some time back I realized I was wrong.”

Beasley wrote he wanted to seek counseling and said he regretted what he had done.

He was taken into custody on May 4 and booked into the Bingham County Jail on a $150,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 17.